Health Plans Bear Brunt as California Prescription Costs Jump 5%

Prescription drugs cost California health plans more than $9 billion in 2018, a nearly 5% jump over the previous year, according to the state’s Department of Managed Health Care.

Health plans paid $61.16 per member each month for prescription drugs in 2018, about a 5% rise from 2017, according to the report.

The plans paid the lion’s share—almost 92%—of the price for the 25 most costly drugs, according to the analysis from the DMHC. These include brand-name biologics to treat cancer, AIDS, hepatitis C, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. They are manufactured by AbbVie Inc., Amgen Inc., Biogen Inc., Celgene Corp.,...